


The Price for Peace

by raebeddy



Category: The Kane Chronicles - Rick Riordan
Genre: Action/Adventure, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-05
Updated: 2020-08-07
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:14:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,420
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25083718
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/raebeddy/pseuds/raebeddy
Summary: Even after the defeat of Apophis, rebel magicians are still plotting against the House of Life. Carter, Sadie, and Zia must find a way to stop the insurgents, and weigh the risks against the rewards.
Kudos: 8





	1. Late Night in the Library

**_CARTER_ **

It was 11:04 on a Sunday night, and Carter sat alone in the library of Brooklyn House, using the scrying bowl to find clues on the rebels’ whereabouts. In the past couple of months, there had been sporadic attacks in several nomes of the House of Life. There hadn’t been many casualties, but it was enough to send a message: denounce the path of the gods or be destroyed.

_ You’d think after we worked so hard to defeat Apophis, things would finally calm down,  _ Carter thought. Then again, nothing ever seemed to calm down in the Kane family. Carter sighed and looked over the newspaper pages strewn out before him. There were news articles about fires in Belgium, a moderate earthquake in Brazil, and one massive avalanche in Switzerland. Carter had recently spoken with Uncle Amos, who confirmed that the natural disasters were linked to attacks from nomes in those areas.

Carter as well as Zia, Walt, and Sadie had been trying for several weeks to find a way to stop the frequent attacks. Sadly, many sleepless nights and Monster energy drinks later, there hadn’t been a single breakthrough. Walt and Sadie had been helping Carter earlier, but he told them to go to bed. After all, nobody had slept soundly in a while. However, Carter just wanted to be alone, where he could work in silence. All this constant researching without sleep was taking a toll on him. He could sense it in the others too: they all had short tempers and were very prone to petty little arguments (especially between Carter and Sadie). 

Just as Carter lay his head in his hands to give his burning eyes a break, the library door opened. He looked back to see Zia, walking in with a mug in her hands.

“Hey,” Carter mumbled.

“What are you doing here so late Carter?” Zia asked, ignoring his greeting. “You can’t just tell Walt and Sadie to sleep, while you stay up all night looking over the same three newspapers.”

Carter felt his anger rise. “Listen, I’m just trying to find something that can help us stop these rebels, okay? So please, don’t patronize me for doing the right thing.” 

Zia’s eyes widened slightly, but she did not waver. “All I’m saying is, you could use a good night’s sleep,” she said calmly. Before Carter could protest, she held out the mug she was holding. “Here, take it. I made you some hot chocolate. I know it’s your favorite, and I thought you might want some.” 

Carter sipped the drink, and immediately felt a warm sensation spread through his body. The hot cocoa seemed to lift his spirits. 

“This is really good, thanks Zia,” he paused. “I’m sorry for being moody with you, it’s just things seem so stressful lately with all…  _ this _ going on.” 

“I understand,” she said, taking a seat next to him. “It seems like everyone has been on edge lately. These sporadic attacks, I fear may not be the only moves the rebels make. I feel like they’re plotting something big. I spoke with Amos, and he feels it too.” 

Carter sighed, setting the mug down. “We need to find something, and we need to find it soon.”

Zia placed her hand on top of Carter’s and looked him in the eye. Her warm amber eyes always amazed him. “If you’re not gonna go to bed, I might as well stay here with you and help you out.” 

Carter smiled. “Thanks. I guess it’s nice to have—“ 

Before Carter could finish, the library doors burst open. Sadie rushed into the room, still in an old t-shirt and sweats. She was slightly out of breath and had a wild look on her face. 

“Guys, I just had the weirdest dream.”


	2. The Dream

**_SADIE_ **

When Carter told Walt and Sadie to get some rest, she thought she would have a peaceful and dreamless sleep. Unfortunately, her  _ ba _ had other plans. Right as Sadie fell asleep, she felt her  _ ba  _ drift away, far from Brooklyn. 

It all started in Sadie’s old home in London, where she used to live with her grandparents. Her half chicken self floated down to the front of the house, where her grandparents stood. However, they weren’t really her grandparents. Gramps stood with pride, his eyes gleaming silver and gold. Gran looked different as well. She had her hands on her hips, with a cruel smile on her face. Sadie wasn’t too surprised when she heard Horus’ voice come from Gramps. 

“Welcome, Sadie Kane.”

Sadie sighed. “Well, this is just barmy. Why are you two here, and why do you look like Gran and Gramps?”

“There is no need to get upset,” Said Gran with the voice of Isis. “We are here to guide you. You need help stopping those insurgents, yes?”

Sadie nodded silently.  _ I’m surprised the gods chose to get involved,  _ she thought. 

As if she heard Sadies thoughts, Isis spoke. “We tend to get… nervous when mortals push each other to abandon the path of the gods.”

Sadie remembered her trips to the House of Rest (otherwise known as Sunny Acres) where forgotten gods went bonkers because nobody remembered or worshiped them.  _ If people stop following the path of the gods, will major gods like Isis and Horus disappear?  _ She pushed the thought out of her head. 

“So… what lovely guidance do you have for me?” Sadie said with mock politeness. 

In response, Horus and Isis simply turned back towards the house. Hours raised a wrinkly arm and pointed at the front door. It opened slowly, revealing a dark, lightless, void. Suddenly, Sadie felt some invisible current pulling her in the direction of the door, and she glided in. For a few seconds, Sadie was frozen in the void, with no sound or light in any direction. Then, a faint voice spoke. 

“You will never find peace. My armies will not stop until the Kanes and all their allies are dead,” the voice of Apophis hissed. Sadie’s heart thumped out of her chest, and she struggled to breathe.  _ It’s just a voice,  _ she told herself.  _ It’s not real, it’s not real, it can’t be real.  _ She looked around to get a look at the source of the voice, but she was surrounded by darkness. Even though she couldn’t see anything, Sadie shut her eyes tight, until she was seeing stars. 

All of a sudden the temperature seemed to rise and Sadie could feel the heat of the sun on her face. She opened her eyes, greeted by the sight of a large temple, probable from ancient Egypt. A beautiful white bird soared in the sky above and flew down to land on a column in front of Sadie. The bird was a kite, with a grey and black plumage and piercing eyes. She wasn’t fazed when the kite spoke with Isis’ voice. 

“This is the Temple of Isis on Agilkia Island, Egypt. It was built in 280 BCE during the reign of Ptolemy II. Egyptians dedicated this temple to me, Horus, and Osiris.”

Sadie looked around her environment. The temple was made out of tan bricks and displayed images of pharaohs and gods on its massive walls. On her left side, a row of columns stood, leading the way to the entrance. All around the temple and the land surrounding it was water, and what Sadie could only assume was the Nile river. She turned back to the kite, who had flown down on the ground in front of Sadie.

“Ever since the defeat of Apophis, the gods have had a harder time reaching the mortal world,” the bird said. “The absence of  _ Isfet  _ (chaos) creates an absence of  _ Ma’at  _ (order), makes it difficult for us to anchor ourselves.”

Sadie looked at the bird skeptically. “So, what does this have to do with stopping the rebel’s attacks?”

“I was just going to get to that,” Isis said with a mean look. “Anyway, as you know tomorrow is the summer solstice, which happens to be one of the only days I can manifest in your world. Right here, to be exact,” she said, gesturing with her wings to the temple behind her. 

Sadie folded her arms across her chest. “So, this is where you’re gonna give us info on how to stop these rebel gits?”

Isis nodded. “Meet me here as soon as you can, before the solstice is over.” The bird flew away, and the world melted into darkness once again. 

Sadie awoke with a gasp, sitting up in bed. She got up, ran out of her room, and sprinted to the library, where she knew Carter would be. She threw open the door and found Zia and Carter sitting at a table inside. “Guys, I just had the weirdest dream,” she panted. 

  
  
  


After Sadie had explained her dream, Zia questioned Isis’ reliability. “How do you know she will help us? After all, the gods always seem to have a separate agenda.”

Sadie frowned, trying to think of a response. “I… I don’t know for sure what she might be up to.” 

“Well, I think this could be our breakthrough. It’s not like we have any other leads to follow,” Carter argued.

“I hate to say this, brother dear, but you make a good point,” Sadie said. 

Zia nodded in agreement. “Then it’s decided. Everyone grab your gear and meet back here in 15 minutes.”

They all broke off, heading toward their rooms upstairs. 

_ I wonder what information Isis has for us,  _ Sadie wondered.  _ What if Zia is right, and she uses us for her own gain?  _ She walked into her room, changed into a black linen outfit, and grabbed her staff and wand.

_ Hopefully, the goddess is on our side,  _ she thought.  _ We need this information, to save the House of Life from imminent doom. _


	3. The Temple of Isis

**_ZIA_ **

Zia, Carter, and Sadie met back at the library at around 11:30. Once they all had their stuff packed and ready to go, Zia suggested they make some sort of plan. 

“We should be ready to expect anything,” she explained. “After all, we don’t know what the goddess might have in store for us.”

“Great thinking Zia,” Carter replied. “Sadie, make sure you have everything you might need in your bag. Potions, rope, wax, bandages—”

“ _ Alright,  _ I get it, Carter,” Sadie said sharply. “You always have to ruin a fun trip with all your supplies and checklists.”

“How is this supposed to be fun?” Carter sniped back.

Sadie opened her mouth to argue, but Zia cut her off. “Guys. We should leave now.”

The group walked up the roof, where a sphinx statue rested. It served as an anchor for portals whenever a magician needed to travel far. Zia concentrated and spoke a command word, and a swirling vortex of sand appeared. 

“Ladies first,” Sadie said, gesturing Carter forward. In response, he pushed her into the portal as she shrieked in protest. He then stepped in himself. Zia followed and stumbled out, and stared at the beautiful scene in front of her. The Temple of Isis stood tall before them, illuminated by the sunrise, casting everything in a warm glow. It made Zia think of Khepri, the rising sun.

“Let’s go find our goddess,” Sadie said, brushing sand off her clothes.

Thankfully, there were no tourists around at this hour, so meeting up with Isis wouldn’t draw everyone’s attention. Carter once told Zia that one thing he learned from many close encounters with police was that drawing attention to yourself was a very bad thing. As they approached the temple, Sadie suddenly froze in place. 

“Guys…” she said, turning towards them. “We forgot Walt.” 

Zia, Carter, Sadie, and Walt had been doing most of the research on the rebels, working together to gather knowledge. It seemed wrong to leave him behind on such a special mission.

“Well…” Carter pondered. “He’s probably asleep, and we’re already here so… We can apologize when we get back, I guess.”

Sadie gave him a skeptical look.

“He’s right,” Zia said. “We’d wasted crucial time explaining everything to him, and we don’t know how long we need to be here. It sounds impolite, but we should keep on track.”

It didn’t take long to find Isis. She stood in a small courtyard, surrounded by large pillars. She wore a simple white robe, with a large assortment of jewelry around her neck. “You’re here,” she smiled. “Good. We can begin soon.”

“ _ Begin? _ ” Sadie inquired. “Begin what, exactly?”

“Well,” Isis began, “Giving you the information you seek isn’t as easy as simply telling you. The other gods forbid it. I must feed the data to you, and transfer it into your mind so that you may use it yourself.”

She looked at Sadie. “It must be you who receives the intel.”

Sadie looked shocked, her mouth slightly open. “Erm, is this gonna be safe? You don’t exactly have a clean record when it comes to sharing a brain and threatening to burn your host up.”

Carter stepped forward “Let me do it, I can bear the weight.”

“No,” Isis replied. “It must be Sadie. She was my eye, and you and Zia both have hosted other gods. It would destroy your minds completely”

  
  
  


The three teens stood huddled in a separate hall, out of earshot from Isis. Zia looked at Sadie questioningly. “Are you sure you want to do this? We can always go back to Brooklyn House and keep searching.”

Sadie sighed, looking at her feet. “I have to do this. Isis has what we need. We can’t defeat the rebels any other way.” 

_ She’s right,  _ Zia thought.  _ Even if we did eventually find intel without help, it would take too long. The damage the rebels could do would be disastrous. _

Carter looked doubtful but complied. “It’s settled then.” He looked assuringly at his sister. “We do this mind sharing thing, get what we need, and leave, so we can put an end to the rebel attacks.”

They walked back to Isis, Sadie in the lead.

“Okay,” Sadie called. “I’m ready.”

Isis smiled and waved her hand. In front of her, two cushioned antique chairs appeared, facing each other. “Have a seat,” she said motioning to a chair. As Sadie sat down, she had an emotionless expression on her face. But Zia could tell from the stiff way she walked and how her hands were slightly trembling that she was anxious. Sadie gripped the arms of the chair tightly, trying not to show her fear. 

Isis scooted her chair forward, so she and Sadie were closer. “Let us begin the process. Carter and Zia, you are not to interrupt. If the procedure is stopped early, the effects on her mind will be irreversible.”

Carter flinched at the word irreversible, and Zia reached out to grab his hand to comfort him. 

Without warning, Isis reached her hands forward and touched her fingers to Sadie’s temples. Sadie sharply inhaled and abruptly straightened her posture, as if an electrical current was flowing through her. Her hands gripped the armrests even tighter. Her face tightened in discomfort, and her eyes squeezed shut. Isis, on the other hand, looked tranquil, her eyes closed and her face relaxed.

After what Zia thought was around seven minutes, she noticed something. Sadie was starting to pale and looked weaker than before. Carter must have noticed too because he clutched her hand tighter. He had a worried expression on his face. 

Two minutes later, Sadie looked paler than ever. Zia observed an alarming detail: blood was starting to trickle from Sadie’s nose. Carter gasped and looked at Zia. However, she was as shocked as he was and didn’t speak.  _ Hopefully, Isis will be done soon, and Sadie will be okay,  _ Zia assured herself.

Another two minutes later, and blood was running down both of Sadie’s nostrils, as well as her ears. She looked on the verge of unconsciousness, her figure hunched over slightly. It seemed as if Isis’ hands were the only thing keeping her upright. Her hands were a lot looser on the armrests. Neither Zia nor Carter said a word. They were both paralyzed by fear.

Zia reluctantly lowered her vision into the duat. Even before she looked, she had a feeling of what she would see. She saw Isis as a bright glow, with blinding wings stretched out behind her. A path of light flowed from her head to Sadie’s. Zia stared at the faint flicker of what was Sadie, as one thought flashed in her mind.

_ She’s draining Sadie’s life force. She’s going to kill her! _


	4. A Turn for The Worst

**_CARTER_ **

_ I should have stopped this earlier,  _ Carter told himself.  _ I knew this wasn’t safe. Now Isis is gonna melt Sadie’s brain or something, and it’s all my fault for letting it happen.  _ He cast a worried look at Sadie, who had blood running down her nose and past her chin. Carter swore that the blood was gushing out of her nose even faster than before, which alarmed him. 

He turned to Zia, breaking the silence. “Zia, she’s putting too much strain on Sadie’s mind. We have to stop this now before it’s too late.”

Zia stared back at him, visible concern on her face. “What about the ‘irreversible damage’ Isis talked about?”

“I dunno Zia, but we have to stop this now. Isis doesn’t realize she’s going to kill Sadie, and we can’t stand here and do nothing!” His voice cracked. 

“Carter,” Zia said in a firm voice. “Sadie was right when she said she had to do this. If we stop the transfer, we won’t get the information we came for, and it would all be for nothing. We must not interfere. Not yet, at least.”

Carter sighed in frustration but didn’t make a move. He didn’t want Sadie to get hurt, and he hated seeing her like this. He had to do something, he just couldn’t decide what. 

What felt like an eternity passed, and Sadie seemed only semiconscious. Her arms hung loosely over the sides of her chair, and her face was more relaxed. She was taking shallow, shaky breaths while blood dripped all over her front. Carter stepped forward, pulling his hand away from Zia’s. “We gotta stop this now.” 

Zia nodded solemnly. “Alright. How should we do this?”

“I think a simple  _ protect _ spell will work.” They locked eyes, and Zia raised her wand. However, just before Zia could say  _ N’dah,  _ Isis pried her hands from Sadie’s forehead. She moaned softly, and slumped forward, unconscious. Isis caught her by the shoulders and eased her to the ground softly. 

“Will she be okay?” Carter said, with panic in his tone. 

“I’m sure there won’t be any lasting injuries,” Isis said with a blank face. 

Carter and Zia knelt by Sadie, examining her condition. She had a pulse, but it was weak and thready. Her breathing was slow and unstable. The bleeding from her nose and ears was slowing, which Carter took as a good sign. 

He turned to Isis. “How can we help…” his voice trailed off. The goddess had vanished, along with the chairs she summoned. 

“DAMMIT!” Carter yelled. “How can she just leave us with Sadie like this? What are we gonna do now?”

Zia frowned. “Let’s just clean up all this blood, and go from there.”

They spent the next several minutes using a rag to wipe all the blood off of Sadie’s face and neck. Carter estimated she probably lost almost a liter of blood, which was not good. As Zia washed away the last of the blood, Sadie began to stir, groaning faintly. 

“Sadie, can you hear me?” Carter asked, pressing on her shoulder gently. “It’s your brother, Carter. You’re gonna be okay, I just need you to talk to me.”

Sadie mumbled something incoherently, and her eyelids fluttered. She looked around dazed, and her eyes seemed to have trouble focusing on Carter’s face. 

“Thank the gods, you’re awake,” Zia sighed in relief. “We thought you… we thought… she would kill you.” 

“Nah, ‘m just peachy,” Sadie said weakly, her words slurring slightly. 

“Sadie, you had blood coming out of your ears and nose,” Carter chided. “You aren’t ‘just peachy.’” 

Sadie tried to sit up, but Zia and Carter stopped her. “Woah, Woah, Woah,” he said, “Slow down. We’re not in a hurry or anything. Rest for a second.”

“Fine,” Sadie snapped. “I just want to get back home already.” She looked around. “Where did Isis go?”

“She left right after she let you go,” Zia answered. “I guess she didn’t want to stay and help.”

“She never does,” Sadie sighed. She looked up at Carter. “Be a dear and fetch me some papyrus from my bag,” she told him. 

“What do you need that for?”

“So I can write down the information Isis gave to me. Duh.” 

Carter stood up and walked to Sadie’s bag, and fished around inside. He pulled out some ink, a stylus, and some papyrus. He looked around for a healing potion because Sadie certainly needed one. After a minute of emptying the bag, he swore under his breath.  _ Of all the things, she forgets a  _ healing potion!  _ Of course, just our luck.  _

He walked back to the others and set down the papyrus, stylus, and ink down next to Sadie. She sat up slowly, wincing as she did so. 

“You okay?” Carter asked. 

“Fine,” she replied. “Just a little sore… everywhere.”

Sadie knelt over the items, unstoppered the ink bottle, and flattened out the papyrus in front of her. She adjusted her position, so she was leaning forward on her knees and sitting on her heels. She closed her eyes in concentration for a moment, taking deep breaths.  _ She’s reviewing what information Isis gave her, so she can write it down,  _ Carter realized.

Sadie dipped the stylus in the ink and began to write. She used one hand to keep the paper smooth, while the other scribbled furiously. She seemed to be hyperfocused on what she was doing, almost like she was in a trance. Carter glanced over her shoulder to see what she had written. It wasn’t words, it was a detailed map. Carter didn’t recognize the location Sadie was drawing. 

After lots of drawing, Sadie paused, breathing hard. Just when Carter thought she would be done, she grabbed another sheet of papyrus and continued. This drawing was very different. It was a floor plan of a large building, some kind of warehouse with three stories and a basement.

Zia turned to Carter. “Could this be where the rebels are hiding?”

“Could be,” Carter replied.

Below Sadie’s drawing, she wrote a long list of numbers and a few letters.  _ They’re coordinates,  _ Carter thought to himself. 

Sadie stopped writing, snapping out of her trance. 

“That’s it,” she said. “That’s what Isis wanted us to know.”

“What is it, exactly? A rebel hideout?” Carter asked.

“I have no clue. All she showed me was this. She didn’t even say anything about it. Guess we have to figure—” Sadie suddenly cried out, hugging her stomach, doubled over in pain. 

“What’s wrong?” Zia asked in a panicked voice.

Sadie gritted her teeth. “My stomach, it’s killing me!” She howled in agony. She was gasping for breath, tears running down her face. 

“We gotta get out of here, quick,” Zia said. “I’ll make a portal. You try to get Sadie up and walking.”

Carter came to a grim realization. “Zia… portals have a 12-hour cool-down period. We won’t be able to get out of here.”

Zia looked to the ground, swearing furiously in Arabic.”How do we get to a healer quick enough?” Carter brainstormed as hard as he could. They couldn’t possibly travel to another portal, they’d have to find a boat to cross the river surrounding them. Sadie shrieked in pain, breaking his train of thought.

“Do you know any healing spells?” Carter asked Zia.

“Not one that would help here.”

“Guys,” Sadie said, causing both Carter and Zia to turn sharply. “I… I think I’m…” she hunched over, even more, struggling to breathe. Suddenly she vomited, a pool of blood stretching out in front of her.


	5. Crimson Red

**_SADIE_ **

_ Blood. _

That was the only thing Sadie remembered clearly. She retched and coughed it up, which only seemed to make the stabbing pain worse. Sadie could hardly breathe through all the pain and coughing. Carter and Zia knelt around her, oblivious to what they should do to help. After what seemed like an eternity, Sadie’s vomiting and coughing stopped. She stared at the massive pool of blood in front of her, breathing shakily. Then, the world seemed to spin and wobble, making her even more nauseated.

She slumped over to the side, landing in Carter’s arms. The stabbing pain in Sadie’s stomach subsided, turning into a deep throb. She curled up into a ball, pulling her knees into her chest. “Help me,” she whimpered quietly.

She could feel Carter stroking her hair, soothing her in a calm voice, but she couldn’t make out the words. As she drifted away into unconsciousness, Sadie wished the pain would be over.

  
  


Sadie came to with Carter and Zia leaning over her, concerned looks on their faces. She still felt the dull pain in her stomach, accompanied by a new pulsating headache. She tried to sit up, with much difficulty and pain. Surprisingly, Carter and Zia helped her up instead of insisting she rest.

“Are you alright?” Zia asked. “You were out for a few minutes.”

“Never better,” Sadie said unenthusiastically. She suddenly had the urge to throw up as a wave of dizziness hit her. 

“While you were out, Zia and I figured out how to get back to Brooklyn,” Carter said. “We can use the  _ shen  _ necklace that Walt gave you, and he can pull us back home.”

“Sounds like a lovely plan,” Sadie said. “Help me stand, so we can get started.”

“Uh, standing probably isn’t a good idea,” Carter chided.

Sadie gave him a withering look. “Carter, you’re being overdramatic. I’m okay, so you will help me get up.”

Carter sighed deeply. “Fine. Just be careful.”

Zia and Carter grabbed Sadie by the arms, lifting her slowly. Sadie gritted her teeth together, using all her willpower not to cry out in pain. She stood unsteadily, one arm around Carter for support.

“Alright,” Sadie said. “Time to talk to Walt.”

She pulled out the  _ shen  _ amulet, holding it tightly in a closed fist. She closed her eyes and concentrated. 

_ Walt, it’s Sadie. We need your help.  _

There was no response. Sadie couldn’t feel anything. Then, she realized he was probably asleep. After all, It was late when they left Brooklyn House. Sadie focused her thoughts more intensely.

_ Walt. I need you to wake up. Please. _

Nothing. 

_ Walt Stone, I need you to wake up! NOW! _

Finally, there was a reply.

_ Sadie? What’s happening, where are you? _

_ Carter, Zia, and I went on a little mission, nothing to worry about. We need you to pull us through. _

_ Okay,  _ Walt said.

“Get ready,” Sadie told the others.

Zia grabbed Sadie’s hand, and Carter leaned in closer. Suddenly there was a loud  _ pop,  _ and they stood in Walt’s room. Walt wore athletic sweatpants and a faded Metallica shirt, which was a look only he could pull off.

Walt looked at the group, noticing Sadie leaning against Carter. 

He gave Sadie a worried look. “Are you okay? What happened to you guys?”

Sadie started to reply but broke into a coughing fit, slumping against Carter. The stabbing pain returned, worse than before.

Sadie collected herself, forcing the coughing to stop. 

“Sorry about that,” She said. “I’m just a little banged up from sharing minds with Isis.”

“ _ Isis?!”  _ Walt said. “What happened? Why did you guys run off without me?”

“Sorry dude,” Carter said. “We kinda forgot, and we were already there.”

Walt looked crestfallen. 

Sadie detached from Carter, standing on her own. She stepped slowly towards Walt and placed her hands on his arms to comfort him.

“I’m sorry we left you behind. I had this weird dream, and Isis told me to come to this temple and… It was so rushed, we had a small time window and we were caught up in the moment and... “ Her voice trailed off.

“It’s fine,” Walt said, looking up to meet Sadie’s eyes. His face didn’t match his words, but he moved on. “Let’s just get you to Jaz.”

They started to walk out of the room, but Sadie stopped abruptly. The room seemed to tilt and wobble, causing her to stumble forward. Walt turned around just in time to catch Sadie, preventing her from falling on her face.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Walt asked, holding her up.

Sadie felt anything but okay. The stabbing pain was still there, her head throbbed, and she wanted to pass out.

Instead of responding as a normal person would, Sadie threw up blood on Walt, and her knees buckled. The world became a big, blurry, mess, and everything dissolved into darkness.

  
  
  
  


Sadie awoke slowly, taking time to observe the environment around her. She lay in a small bed with white cotton blankets. The room was small and simple, with plain white walls and gray flooring. To her right side, Walt was sprawled out on a couch, sleeping. Sadie noticed all kinds of tubes and wires sticking out of her, leading to various monitors and machines. The sharp pains were gone, but a dull ache remained in her abdomen.

_ I’m in a hospital,  _ she thought.

Suddenly, her memory came flooding back to her. The dream, Isis, and just about everything else. Sadie began to panic, tightness filling her chest. She felt as if her lungs were shrinking, getting smaller and tighter with each breath. 

Sadie absolutely hated hospitals. They were full of sick, dying people, and it was never fun to be one of them. Ever since she was little, she feared every trip to the doctor and would do anything to get out of it.

Now, that fear began to multiply tenfold. Sadie struggled to catch her breath, and each inhale seemed more difficult than the last. Tears welled in her eyes, anxiety threatening to overwhelm her. 

Walt noticed Sadie’s turmoil and stirred. He sat up groggily, taking a second to process the scene. Realizing what was happening, he rushed over to Sadie and spoke to her gently.

“Hey, Sadie, it’s okay. You’re okay. We’re in the First Nome, you’re all better now. I’m here, shh.”

He stroked her hair gently, shushing her quietly. Sadie leaned into his shoulder for what seemed like forever, her breathing returning to normal. She quickly pulled away from Walt, embarrassed.

“S-sorry about that,” she muttered. “I just…  _ really  _ hate hospitals.”

“It’s alright,” Walt said. “I’d be pretty freaked out too if I blacked out and woke up here.”

Sadie chuckled nervously. The last thing she remembered was getting home, stumbling around, and throwing up on Walt. 

_ Oh shit, I threw up on Walt,  _ she thought, blushing furiously. She wanted to crawl in a hole and die, where she could be embarrassed no further. 

“What’s wrong?” Walt asked.

Sadie blushed even more. “I, uh… puked on you. Sorry.”

“It’s no big deal, Sadie. All you did was scare me half to death.” He looked at her solemnly. “I thought you were gonna die. We were all so scared. Carter and I carried you to a portal and took you to the healers here, and we waited forever. They said you had massive internal bleeding, and they… I thought I was gonna lose you. Even Anubis wasn’t sure you would make it.”

Sadie clasped Walt’s hand tightly.

“Well, they fixed me up pretty good, huh?” 

She tried to sit up, but her body throbbed from the effort.

“On second thought,” She winced, “I think I might need some more medical attention.”

At that moment, the door opened, and Carter and Zia entered.

“Thank goodness you’re okay,” Carter said, rushing over to Sadie.

“Yeah,” Zia said sternly. “Don’t ever do that again. Seriously.” 

The group talked for about an hour, discussing the events of the previous day.

“We relayed the information you gave us to Amos,” Carter said. “He told us they’d sent out a group on a mission to capture the rebel base.”

“Can we come too?” Sadie asked.

“Definitely not in your condition.”

“Aww, come on. I wanna be a part of the fun.”

Carter sighed. 

“I think we’ve had enough ‘fun’ for a while.”


End file.
